United Illuminating Recognized For 'Outstanding' Response to Irene

Ask just about any customer if the utility did a good job of restoring power following in August and chances are they will say “” — but would anyone who went without power for three to be satisfied?

As Gov. Dannel Malloy’s administration continues its work on the , at least one industry organization feels United Illuminating did an “outstanding” job responding to the unprecedented damage to the electrical grid following the storm, which in total knocked out power to , some of them for more than a week: According to a press release emailed to Patch today, the Edison Electric Institute has honored UIL Holdings Corporation with its “Emergency Recovery Award” for its efforts in restoring power to customers following Irene.

Winners of the “Emergency Recovery Award” are nominated through an international process and selected by a panel of judges, according to the release. This year’s awards were presented during EEI’s Spring CEO meeting.

“UI’s restoration effort following one of the most destructive storms the company had seen was nothing short of outstanding,” EEI President Tom Kuhn said. “In the very beginning, when the storm was still developing, the company knew the severity of the situation and proactively began to execute their storm response plan. UI restored electricity for the vast majority of their customers within a matter of days due to the diligence and dedication UI employees and contractors exhibited.”

About 210,332 of UI’s 325,000 customers lost power when the storm moved through the region Aug. 28-29, toppling trees and taking down power lines.